Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-01-19

marry any one." -1. -
Certainly not man who has treated you
badly" the widow said, resolved to pledge
Sophia to this much, at least
II am not going to marry anybody, " Sophia
repeated, tartly.
She had another counselor Egerton, hav-
ing heard that Percival was returning, ven
tured to advise Sophia on the whole sub
ject.
ut is not his being a little wild, SOPHIA,
that would so much object to-" he said
awe are all that sometimes. mean all
young fellows, not girls, though said We
had what we call an affair with Miss john
son at that glove shop myself many years
ago, and it went so far that once or twice we
were on the point of going out walking to-
gether, and all that sort Of thing-you know
what mean, Sophia; but it was the time for
the eauinoctial gales, and the weather got
unsettled and that stopped it; and then got
engaged to Caroline, and she was such ire
mendously fine girl that she steadied me- l
don't want to find fault with Percival Brent,
who is not half a bad fellow, I think. But
you are not the woman for him, Sophia, that
is where it is-you are not the woman for
him. In every case woman ought to be
tie woman for a man. A man Of Ps1ltIssps
sort oughtto be engaged to g. Tomxn syisz. T.
whip in her hand Some Of us-I mean the
fellows with 'go'-want to be influenced, and
things to be brought to bear on us, and we
want forcible feminine character about us,
and the rest of it, and in such cases there Is
nothing like woman with whip in her
hand"
More solemn and weighty words were adj
dressed to the poor heart sick girl. Goldmore
no sooner heard that Percival was coming
back than he became sincerely alarmed for
Sophia's future.
Il tremble for that girl" he said to his wife
one morning, "kind, impressible, virtuous as
she is. wish she would accept Prender'
CAST, who is as much in love with her as ever,
and to whom fortune will make no difference.
I fear-I very greatly fear-that Sophia will
be very poor at her mothers death. Every
thing points that way. But she is the sweet
est Of girls" he added in tones Of solemn ap-
prevail "she is sister you may well be
proud of, and she shall never want brother
while live, Sibyl She shall live here if she
will make this house her home"
II don't know that Sophy would care to live
here" Sibyl answered curtly. "She is fanci-
full and quixotic. Perhaps she will marry
Percival Brent after ALL"
"Not after his improper behavior" Gold
more remarked, with the solemn morality of
Great Briton.
Sibyl laughed little. "Women forgive
that sometimes" she said. 49,,
Accordingly Goldmore, in fear Of some
thing which he could not quite define to him
self, resolved to give Sophia the benefit Of his
experience of life. His kindness and his good
intentions were undoubted, and his words
were those of man who "knows."
"Don't te deceived by that soft forgiving
heart of yours into marrying a prohigate,
Sophia" he said. "a young man may fall
into many errors and come out of them, and
be as good Us ever but profigate meuer re-
turns to the state of his youth. He may seem
respectable, but he is never truly restored.
He has lost that which he can never regain
There will always be a hardness and coarse
ness about him, and he may any hour relapse
into evil ways. Such men make pretense
of reforming when they want to marry, and
perhaps even believe themselves reformed
but, Sophia, prohigate can no more reform
and be what once he was than man who
has lost an eye can see again as perfectly as
when he had two. Be firm, Sophia! Be true
to yourself Hear nothing the young man
says"
Poor Sophia began to cry. i.
u am not saying this tnoughtlessly my
dear girl" Goldmore continued, taking her
hand II admire young woman who loves
man and will make sacrifice for him, and
I may take the iiberts'~of assaifrgs -sruI
Sophia $50 great is my interest in you), that
I had resolved, had the young man been hon
orable, that no little difficulty of a pecuniary
kind should have stood in your way. But
now, Sophia" Goldmore said, with all the
magnate upon him once more, ~ must inter-
fere in quite another sort Of way"
Late that night, when weary Sophia stole
back to her mothers room, she found it dark,
for the lamp had gone out.
"Are you awake, mammap
"Is that you, SophiaW the old woman
answered, in a clear and singularly collected
voice. "That girl in blue is here again, you
see."
"What, mammal Where"
'"Here, at the end of the bed, and that
young fellow with her. They have been dane
ing, and came here afterward. They have
not spoken to me, not word. Only they sit
there kissing and laughing. don't object to
laughing or kissing either; only they should
not choose this place, where so many people
are passing up and down. But, Lord! how
young people will 60 on!'
Time after time during several days the
old woman would imagine that the bedroom
was ballroom, and that the girl in blue and
her lover were sitting at her beds end, flirt-
ing and misbehaving themselves in way
which tickled the old woman; for she often
laughed aloud, and said over and over again:
"Lord! how young people will 60 on"
At last, on Christmas eve, Sophia was sit
ting beside her, and she spoke all at once in
low, penetrating whisper:
"Sophy, know who that girl is now"
"Who, mammal"
"Myspt dear-myseJ." She uttered this
in whisper Of secrecy, low, but intensely
clear II saw the face just this moment.
And that is Jack baltimore jack
we used to call him, he was so thin but he
was clever and so handsome! We stole out
together during the dance at Lord Mount
cold it is! Let us 60 back let us go back lei
us 60 back"
She turned and composed herself to sleep,
and all night long she lay placidly. When
the doctor came in the morning he found her
much weaker, and said she must have brandy
every half-hour, for she was sinking fast.
But she would take nothing; only slept away,
while hour by hour:the beating pulse reported
failing strength. Sophia, feeling the end was
near, sent word to Car and Sibyl, and the
three sisters watched beside her all the after
noon, while Egerton and Goldmore waited
down stairs. The breath grew fainter; fixed
lines came out on mobile face; the three
daughters stood round the bed; and tbs
worldly little mother passed without pang
away. .... -.--
CHAPTER w.
PERCIvAL RETURNS.